San Antonio beckons as one of the best cities, not only in Texas, but in the U.S., to visit. San Antone, as we say in Texas, shines colorfully, pops brightly, and entertains in a way no other city can do. Some of the following attractions are kid-friendly, but all are exciting for adults.
Rio San Antonio Riverwalk
Bar none, the San Antonio Riverwalk is a must do in San Antone and this city’s number 1 attraction. The Riverwalk district has been developing and evolving since 1938. The weather in San Antonio supports year-round events at the River Walk.
The major portion of the Riverwalk is located in downtown San Antonio. It flows from the north of downtown, through downtown and then exits and flows through Southtown and the King William Historic District. The San Antonio River flows for 240 miles from San Antonio/Bexar County into the Guadalupe River in Refugio County.
Spend an entire day and evening on the Riverwalk or in luxury hotels for a weekend getaway or a whole vacation. Today, the River Walk comprises 15 miles of art exhibits, bars, hotels, museums, offices, restaurants, and events. Officially, the Riverwalk never closes and its nights belong mostly to adults.
Rio San Antonio Cruises
Visitors enjoy hop-on/hop-off river boat cruises and bus passes or rent bikes to hang out at the beautifully landscaped walkways along both sides of the river. Rio Cruises run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The entire cruise is about 35 minutes. Visitors can purchase different types of cruise passes.
Buckhorn Museum & Saloon
Buckhorn is a saloon and cafe, but also offers two museums amidst a full Texas experience. Buckhorn’s exotic animal taxidermist collection and the impressive Texas Ranger Museum to the saloon and cafe, to the gift shop and private event space caters to everyone with a few hours to spare in San Antonio.
The Buckhorn Museum & Saloon is one of San Antonio’s most popular downtown attractions. The Buckhorn Saloon is the birthplace of many historic moments and legends. It’s the site where Pancho Villa is said to have orchestrated the Mexican Revolution and where Teddy Roosevelt enlisted the Rough Riders. (The Buckhorn was established in 1881, so for Pancho Villa, it had to be a different entity.)
Many original elements, including the marble and cherry wood back-bar, are still present at the Buckhorn Saloon today. Choose from a selection of locally brewed beers on tap or savor a refreshing Prickly Pear Margaritas at 318 E Houston St, San Antonio.
The Tejas Rodeo Company
The Tejas Rodeo Company hosts a weekly Saturday rodeo from March to November, and it is super popular. It is just 30 minutes north of San Antonio in Bulverde, Texas, at 401 Obst Road, Bulverde, Texas.
The Tejas Rodeo Companyfeatures a steakhouse with an award-winning menu, outdoor food, ice-cold drinks, a pavilion, live music after the rodeo, horse clinics, and special events throughout the year. If you want to go, you have to get there before 7 p.m., or you will not find good seats and find only slim pickings on outdoor food. Gates open at 5 p.m.
Ghosts and Dark History Guided Walking Tour
This tour presents San Antonio’s eerier history, where you hear the dark stories behind some iconic historical sites. The tour begins at the Alamo, and then takes you to a graveyard, the Menger Hotel, Emily Morgan Hotel, The Majestic Theater, and the Sheraton Gunter Hotel.
Stories about notorious San Antonio murders, Ulysses S. Grant, Oscar Wilde, and a hospital are designed to chill your spine. There is also a Haunted Pub Crawl Tour for adults where you can enjoy a drink while exploring some of the above sites plus haunted pubs.
Ghost Tour Starting location:
300 Alamo Plaza
Finish at:
Sheraton Gunter Hotel San Antonio
San Antonio Missions Tour
The Alamo is only one of the old Spanish missions in San Antonio. A fully guided tour takes you to all five San Antonio missions on its mission trail on the first Saturday of the month. The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is also open to tour without a guide.
Some of these missions are active parishes today and have earned UNESCO World Heritage status. The park offers programs on science and research, education, nature, history and culture, and kid’s ranger programs.
Another way to explore the San Antonio Missions is by bicycle on a 15-mile “hike & bike” trail that runs along the San Antonio River and connects all the missions. Each mission is about 2.5 miles from the next.
Bracken Cave Preserve
Approximately 15 millionMexican free-tailed bats call Bracken Cave home during the daylight hours. Every dusk before nightfall, these bats spin into a tornado-like form and spew out of their cave on their nightly hunt for their insect dinners.
Bracken Cave houses the world’s largest bat colony and one of the largest concentrations of mammals on earth. To watch these bats fly off results in an amazing experience. Bracken Cave is a 30-minute drive northeast from downtown San Antonio.
7515 Bracken Cave Road, San Antonio
Tower of the Americas (TOA)
Downtown San Antonio is home to this 750-foot tower with awe-inspiring views while you rotate 360 in the Tower’s Chart House Restaurant far above the Alamo City with award-winning menus. The Tower of the Americas is in the former HemisFair ’68 site and has a lounge and an observation deck, accessible by elevator for a fee.
Be sure to check the TOA event schedule website to find out if there are special or free events when you visit San Antonio. The TOA hosts live music shows and parties. Make a reservation for one of the two private dining rooms on the 4th Level Observation Deck.
Fees vary depending on what you want to do or what kind of event is going on at the TOA:
739 E Cesar E. Chavez Blvd,
San Antonio
Sunday through Thursday: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Turtle Races at Little Woodrow’s Bar
Every Thursday night, San Antonio locals gather at Little Woodrow’s Bar in North San Antonio for turtle races. If you pick a winner, your turtle wins you a free shot of tequila! You have three chances to win because the turtle races begin at 9, 10, and 11 p.m. Dogs are welcome on the patio.
This bar is a long-time local hangout where people just chill with turtles and dogs. Inside, Little Woodrow’s San Antonio is a sports bar. Little Woodrow’s is a corporation serving up Texas culture in 22 locations all over the Texas countryside, with one opening up soon in Fort Worth.
Yanaguana Garden
Evening at about dusk is a great time at this garden for adults to relax with a variety of craft beers or margaritas served by on-site vendors in Yanaguana Garden. You can play ping-pong or match wits on oversized checker and chess boards. Yanaguana Garden lights up at dusk with artistically placed colors, leading you to stroll toward one of its outdoor eateries.
San Antonio Events
San Antonio is home to year-round special events. It is the essence of the Tex-Mex blend of humans, and there is no other like it. Try to search the many calendars of events in San Antonio before you visit. It will surprise you, and there is no way to experience San Antonio completely unless you make return visits.
There is so much more to see and do in this wonderful, action-packed Old West city. San Antonio serves up the best Mexican food in Texas as a whole. Visitors will find Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican cuisine. San Antonio shares a rich history with Old Mexico and this culture stands out just about everywhere one can go in this city.
Author: Kendall Davis
Author: Kendall Davis Company: Lumini Services Kendall currently lives on the shores of Lake Texoma in Texas. She traveled across two-thirds of the U.S. for many years camping at lakes, rivers, and three oceans before motels and hotels if at all possible, and she continuously saw God's presence in nature. Writing for Lakehub allows Kendall to share her experience with God's creations. https://kdavis1836.wixsite.com/luminiwrites
